Guess Who's Coming to the Party
by GinStan
Summary: An idea from a prompt posted on the DWP Facebook group. A Mis-sent text message. In this case, a party invitation.


Guess Who's Coming to the Party

by Gin

The restaurant they had picked to meet for lunch was noisier than their normal places but it was close to both their offices and as distracting as the ambiance was Andy Sachs still got her point across to her former co-worker, Nigel.

"A party?" He grinned. "What a fabulous idea."

"Yeah!" She laughed and raised her glass of wine. "I feel like celebrating." The feeling was due to her her latest accomplishment a front page by-line. A milestone for any newspaper reporter. It was also the holiday season, so her annual party should be soon anyway and her nice new apartment wasn't a bad reason either. Nigel apparently thought so as well.

"We can do a housewarming at the same time." He took a sip of his wine. "Don't forget to send me an invitation. Last minute text invitations are no good this year."

"Ha!" Andy whipped out her phone and within a few minutes dramatically pushed the "send" button. She looked very smug when his phone notification sound went off. "There. I invited everyone and you all have until Saturday night to get ready."

Nigel wiped his hands and checked his phone. Chuckling at the message.

"**Party at my apartment, this Saturday night, bring nothing.**  
**Anyone allergic to latex?"**

"Allergic to latex?" Nigel raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Really?"

Andy's forehead wrinkled. "Yeah." She rolled her eyes and laughed. "I used to live with a chef, remember?" She sighed. "It wasn't a big deal really, but last year, after the annual party you attended, I had a gathering of friends from my hometown. One of them was allergic to latex, like really allergic. We had to call an ambulance. It turns out his reaction was due to the gloves I used when I prepared food for a party. I like the latex ones better than the plastic ones. He was fine, but now I always ask if anyone is allergic because if they are then I'll use the plastic gloves. It had never been a problem in the past, but now I always check to see if any of my guests are allergic, so I know which gloves I can use. Latex or plastic." She watched the grin falling from his face. "Sorry I'm not as wild as you think... are you even listening?"

"Um..." Nigel was still staring at his phone. "You might want to take a look at the guest list..."

"Huh?" Andy checked the message she'd just sent and the people she'd sent it to. "Oh... Oh God..." Her voice came out in a whisper. "Nigel... what have I done?"

Nigel's phone rang, the screen showing exactly who was calling. He sighed as he prepared to answer the call. "I'm afraid, my Dear, the dragon wakes..." He accepted the call and plastered a smile on his face as he spoke. "Hello, Miranda." He winced as he listened for a moment.

"I'm sure it was just a mistake, Miranda." Nigel assured his boss. "I'm sure it was harmless."

Nigel blinked at the response then pulled the phone away from his ear to see the screen and confirm that the call had been disconnected. He sighed and gestured for the check. "We have to go."

"WE?!"

Nigel looked at the ticket the server had handed him and left money plus tip on the table. "Oh yes, my Dear, if I have to face the dragon, you most certainly do too."

The butterflies in Andy's stomach seemed to multiply. She followed Nigel in a daze, trying not to think about seeing Miranda again. Hearing her voice. Being surrounded by her delicious scent. She shivered at the thought and trying not to think about it did nothing but leave every other thought by the wayside and it became the only thing she could think about all the way to Miranda's office. Only Nigel by her side allowed her to walk into Miranda's office.

###

Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of Runway magazine the premier fashion magazine in the country, was looking through yet another pile of boring photos when her cell phone dinged a notification of message. She picked it up to check as it could possibly be one of her girls trying to contact her. Instead it was a mystifying message about a party and... latex? Rolling her eyes at the obvious mistaken message she was about to delete it when she noticed the other addresses it had been sent to. Grinding her teeth together, she quickly called one of the names she recognized. When he answered, the tone of her voice left no doubt why the title of Dragon Lady was so popular for her in the tabloids. "Nigel, why are my daughters receiving party invitations where allergies to latex are involved?"

She only listened for a moment. "Harmless?!" Miranda was not soothed by Nigel's platitudes, not when her children were involved. "I require an explanation. In my office, in ten minutes." Disconnecting the call, Miranda resumed her work. No point in wasting ten whole minutes. She thought as she X'd out a particularly offensive photo.

Surprisingly, nine minutes later the very person she was expecting arrived at her office along with the very last person she expected to see.

"Nigel." Miranda glanced at the woman who had accompanied him, the sender of the offending text, Andrea. Then her eyes were momentarily back on Nigel. "Leave us."

Only the upward motion of Nigel's eyebrows showed his surprise, he bowed slightly and gave Andy an encouraging smile before he exited the office, but not before Miranda's silky voice issued a last instruction.

"Nigel, close the door on your way out."

At the click of the door, Andy's heart rate doubled and she tried for a moment to get that under control. Miranda's own quietly controlled voice when she asked her questions didn't help matters any.

"What is the meaning of this text?" Miranda held up her phone. "Why are you inviting my daughters to your party? And what's this about latex?"

At least, the voice itself didn't help because it was the voice Andy dreamed about, for over a year she had heard it in her sleep. The questions, however, helped immensely and those she could answer.

"Nigel and I were at lunch and discussing my annual holiday party. There have been times in the past where preparations for the party have allowed the invitations to slip my mind, so he reminded me to be sure and invite him. Therefore, I took out my phone and immediately invited everyone I normally invite." She brazenly held up her hand to stall Miranda's obvious next comment. "The problem arose when I clicked on Nigel's name because I didn't realize what I clicked was a 'group' chat that I had set up when I was still your assistant. The time when the girls needed special dresses for their recital and we had to coordinate with you, and them. It helped keep us all in the loop. I didn't realize I hadn't deleted that group. So along with Nigel's invitation you and the girls received it as well."

Miranda considered that information and requested further information. "And the...latex?"

Nodding, Andy gave her the same information she had given Nigel, about the gloves she used to prepare food for the party. She then stopped talking and simply watched Miranda get up and walk over to look out her large office windows. She watched her like a person dying of thirst watched a waterfall. In that watching, Andy noticed something and spoke again, quietly.

"It was a mistake to invite you and the girls." Andy saw small twitches on Miranda's face and a slight drooping of her shoulders, then continued. "But I would love to have you there. All of you." She smiled at the furtive glance that got her. "You are more than welcome."

"Are we?" Miranda shook her head and looked away. "Am I?"

The forlorn tone was so heartbreaking, Andy moved until she was standing next to Miranda. "Always." Andy swallowed hard and ignored her pounding heart and the feeling she was about to faint. "I've missed you." The immediate snapping of those stormy blue eyes to hers made Andy smile.

"Do not mock me."

"I'm not." Andy assured her and moved a bit closer. "I understand why you were so upset about the text, and how you thought it was harmful to the girls." She softened her voice. "But why were you so... disappointed when you thought I meant it was a mistake to invite you?" At Miranda's continued silence, Andy prompted. "Did you want to see me?" Miranda turned away but Andy heard the quiet response.

"yes"

Andy shifted closer and reached out, wrapping an arm around Miranda's waist, loosely enough that Miranda could get away if she wished. Instead, Andy inhaled softly as Miranda leaned against her. She smiled and tilted her head so that her whisper would go directly into Miranda's ear. "You can see me any time you want."

"no." Miranda sighed and pulled away slightly, so that she could see Andrea's face and her voice firmed up somewhat. "There are not enough minutes in the day for that."

There was a long moment spent just staring into each others eyes, but when Miranda moved Andy pulled away. "I'm not going to kiss you now." She looked around Miranda's office. "Not here." She immediately tightened her grip to keep Miranda where she was. "However, there will be mistletoe hanging at my party and if I were to catch you under it, I will kiss you for sure."

Miranda grinned wryly. "Andrea, I was already going to accept the invitation. You don't need to bribe me with kisses."

"You were?" Pressing her forehead to Miranda's, Andy smiled again. "Yay." Then her forehead wrinkled. "Just you? You know the girls..."

"Next weekend is their weekend with their father." Miranda sighed. "He's been quite the stickler about his time with them lately."

"Oh." Andy nodded. "I see." There had to be an unmistakable look of thought in her eyes because Miranda answered her unspoken plans.

"Another day for us to all dine together would be acceptable."

Andy winced. "I'm going to be busy this week, working. I have a ton of interviews set up, plus I have to get ready for the party." She shook her head. "It's Friday night, I'm sure you have some event to attend tonight."

"Not tonight." Miranda again leaned into Andy's embrace. "Will you come to dinner, at the townhouse tonight? The girls will be thrilled to see you." 

"They will?" Andy was dubious about that.

"Yes." Miranda smiled. "They still talk about you, helping them with their schoolwork, talking to them when you delivered the Book. None of the other assistants treated them as anything other than nuisances...chores to be handled. You treated them like people. They haven't forgotten that, and neither have I."

Smiling at that, Andy thought about the discussions she'd had with the girls. She missed Miranda, but she missed the little scamps too. "What time is dinner?"

"Seven." Miranda nodded as they both sensed the discussion was over. They parted, reluctantly, and Andy headed toward the door as Miranda returned to the chair behind her desk. "It appears I will not have to wait as long as anticipated for that kiss." Her lips twitched as Andrea stopped mid-step and turned. She raised one eyebrow and quirked the corner of her mouth. "There is mistletoe hanging in my home as well."

With a flash of her million watt smile, Andy turned and opened the door. She had only taken a step when Miranda's voice again followed her path.

"Andrea..."

Andy glanced at the two curious assistants then looked back over her shoulder, "Yes, Miranda?"

"I am most definitely NOT allergic to latex."

Laughing at that resulted in a smile that stayed on Andy's face as she responded and walked past the now wide-eyed assistants. "Good to know, Miranda." She winked at the woman occupying her former position. "Good to know."

End.


End file.
